When I was an extremely awkward teen in 1982, there was a TV show called “Square Pegs”. The lead role was played by Sarah Jessica Parker and it was about two high school girls that absolutely did not fit in.
The show snapped into crystal clarity something I had been aware of but could never articulate in any meaningful way up until then. Like the characters in the show, I was a square peg in a world of round holes.
I know now that everybody at one time or another has felt like an outsider. This really is a fact of life, especially as a teen. As you grow into your sense of self and begin to find your identity, part of that struggle is grappling with the nature of the relationship between your identity and the world at large. It’s a side effect of being human to have moments of feeling apart from everyone else.
Not just teens, of course, suffer from this kind of solitude. Kids and adults at any age can experience isolation and loneliness due to circumstances beyond their control (as for example, a pandemic perhaps).
The powerful memory of my square peg moment came flooding back to me when considering my own kids. Kids for whom the regular public school system does not work. It dawned on me to wonder: how many other people, at any age, have felt their worlds grow smaller or been pushed to the margins of society? It could be for any reason, such as health issues or autism or being gay or trans or nonbinary. Or maybe that’s just how you feel for no particular reason at all. How many people? I bet you a whole lot of us fit that description.
Despite the progress made in social justice (we’ve come a long way since 1982) there are still too many people who struggle with more than just moments of feeling separate.
That’s why it is so important to put effort into creating spaces that are inclusive and safe, where you don’t have to be on guard all the time. Why it is important to address social disparities through direct action and to build community for those who have none. To promote positivity and self love.
This is the kind of work we want to do at Creative Diversity Friend’s Club.